


Afternoon Delight

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-16
Updated: 2007-01-16
Packaged: 2019-05-31 03:36:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15110975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "You always wear this really cute smile when you remind me that I'm old and you're not."





	Afternoon Delight

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Nora pulled open her door when she heard the knock. She had been pacing her office trying to figure out what to do about the Speaker and his threat to cut Medicare by a third for the upcoming fiscal year. The President’s leadership was so precarious…he had barely survived the near override on the death tax veto. If Nora was honest with herself, which she liked to be, he could not do it again.

“What do you need Toby?”

The Communications Director leaned in her doorway, hands in his pockets. She finally stopped pacing and looked at him when he did not answer.

“To get the hell out of here.” He said.

“What?”

“Not all day, though I don’t have to tell you how nice that would be. Just a couple of hours where I disappear and pretend to be someone else.”

“Did you come to ask my permission?”

“I want you to come with me.”

“Where?”

“I don’t really care. Do you?”

“Not really.”

“Then let’s go.”

There was plenty of work waiting on her desk. Not that Walker and his cohorts wouldn’t still despise them when she returned. Not that she wasn’t going to stay late anyway and work herself down to the nub. Autumn was coming and so was the US House of Representatives. An afternoon pretending to be someone else would be just what she needed.

“How do you plan to sneak out of here?” she asked, grabbing her purse.

“If I could make it out of the fortress that was Harry S. Truman high school, I think I can handle the White House.”

“You are so intriguing.”

“You have no idea.”

“Oh yes I do.”

They went downstairs, past the cafeteria, down another set of stairs, and past the steam trunk distribution venue. At the end of the hallway was a door.

“That door leads to a hall, which leads to another door, which leads to the underground parking lot. Approximately 125 feet to sunlight.”

Nora thought that was so sexy. Did he know everyway in and out of the building?

“Sunlight,” she said, following him down the hall. “Then what?”

“What is your pleasure, Mrs. Masterson?”

She laughed; didn’t even know how to respond into that. This was a new side of Toby. He had this way of getting her really comfortable and then flipping the script. How was it possible to want to strangle a man and rip off his clothes at the same time…that was the power of Toby Ziegler.

“I don’t know.” She said.

They were walking fast through the parking lot and soon felt sunshine on their faces. It was a beautiful early September day; the city was still filled with tourists. Toby took her hand.

“I'm hungry.” He said.

“Can we go to your place?” she asked.

“Um…for what?”

“A little food, a little R & R maybe. Only if you want to.”

He definitely wanted to. He wanted to hold her against the wall and take her until all she could do was shiver and scream. Toby shook the thought from his head; Nora was adamant about them waiting. He wondered if she felt the same tightness in his stomach as he did. He wondered if she touched herself every night and wished it were her lover as he did. He wondered when he would finally be inside her…could it be this afternoon. Just thinking about it made Toby loosen his collar. Getting it together was essential; if Nora knew what he was thinking she would be pissed. Oh hell, he thought of it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“Taxi!”

***

“I almost feel like we are on our own little island, separated from the rest of the world.”

She sat Indian style on a blanket Toby laid on his living room floor. They had pizza, beer, and plenty of sunlight. The smell of cherry blossoms drifted in through the open window as the bustle of DC moved below. Toby sat beside her, watching and smiling.

“If you could go away, where would you go?” he asked.

“I honestly don’t know. It would be someplace quiet with a lot of sun and sounds.”

“What sounds?”

“Um nature, maybe children; definitely not cars.” She laughed. “But I would not see much of it because I’d be laid out in a big bed.”

“I'm sorry?” Toby cleared his throat.

“Oh yeah, four-poster, king sized, silk sheets…now that is a dream come true. I’d stretch across it, roll on it, and curl up on the mound of pillows, absolute paradise.”

“Dressed in cute little pajamas?”

“Oh no, all skin all the time.”

“Oh God.” Toby mumbled.

“I want room service, and chilled champagne. No televisions, no newspapers, no watches, definitely no Congress.”

“So, one room is paradise?”

“It can be. Should we be drinking beer if we’re heading back?”

“One beer is fine. Don’t talk about going back; we’ve hardly been gone.”

“Your day sucked huh?” Nora asked.

“Sucks is probably too kind a word. I love what I do…my job is worth all the agony and setbacks in my life. But on days like today I wish I would’ve taken CCNY’s adjunct offer in the summer of ’89.”

“In 1989 I was just graduating from Vassar and preparing to leave for Berkeley.”

“You always wear this really cute smile when you remind me that I'm old and you're not.”

“You are not old Toby.” she pulled a pepperoni from her pizza. “Open your mouth.”

He did, sliding his tongue out. She put the pepperoni there and he ate it. Then he kissed her. Nora melted in his arms; she always did. Soon she was lying on the blanket and Toby was practically on top of her. The kisses were soft but passionate; Nora was breathless.

“Oh Toby.” she moaned against him.

Toby could feel the quickening of her heartbeat under his own. He covered it with the palm of his hand and then moved down to cup her breast.

“You're so beautiful.” He unbuttoned her blouse, moved it aside, and revealed a red bra. Toby kissed her skin and liked the way she sighed. She smelled so good; Toby didn’t recognize the scent but it made him dizzy. It made him crazy.

“I want you so much. I want you now.”

“We have to go back to work.” Nora could barely breathe.

“I'm so excited, I'm sure it will be over pretty quickly.”

Nora laughed then, and it broke the ice. She caressed his face.

“I want you too Toby. Soon, and it will be so right.”

“How do you know?”

“Because when you and I make love it cannot be wrong.”

He moaned, went back to kissing her skin. Stroking her breast on top of the bra until her nipple hardened. He bent his mouth to it and Nora thought she would lose her mind. His lower half moved on hers…she knew what he was feeling. Oh God, she wanted to let go. She wanted to let him take her anywhere he wanted.

“Toby.” she pleaded. “We have…ohhh…we have to stop.”

She pushed him away, gently, moving her body from under his. He watched, eyes glazed over with passion, as she tried to button her shirt. Nora could only laugh, as she was suddenly all thumbs. Toby brushed her hands aside and did it himself. The room was heavy with desire and longing. Nora wanted to run away but was sure she was paralyzed. If something didn’t happen, It would definitely happen. Toby’s hands were still on her blouse.

“I better um, freshen up before we go back.” He said, standing and quickly walking out of the room.

Nora let go of the breath she was holding, putting her hand over her thumping heart. She managed to climb onto the couch where she quickly downed the last half of her beer. Toby was gone for some time; she was able to gather herself and clean up their lunch mess. In the kitchen, she threw a bit of cold water on her face and used her compact to fix her makeup. Finally, she tapped on the bathroom door.

“Toby, are you alright in there?”

“Uh huh.” He sounded winded. “I’ll be out in a minute. Do you need to go; the powder room…”

“No, I'm fine. I just wanted to check on you.”

“I'm OK.”

Nora put her hand on the door before walking away from it. She leaned against the kitchen counter and tried to shake from her mind what had just happened. No way would she be able to concentrate on work this afternoon if sex with Toby was on the brain. He emerged from the bathroom with a combination of guilt and relief on his face. Nora smiled.

“We ready?” she asked.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Oh please. As long as I can take in the bathroom sometimes you don’t have to apologize to me.”

He studied her face and saw the sincerity. She probably knew what happened behind the door; she was not going to judge him. Toby leaned and kissed her cheek.

“This was a nice afternoon.” He said.

“Definitely. Not that I condone playing hooky but…”

“But?”

“You have this way of making everything fun. Especially slightly dangerous things.”

“That’s me, Toby Ziegler danger man.”

Nora laughed and kissed him once more.

“We really better go. It will probably be a long night.”

“Yeah.”

Toby took her hand and they walked out of his apartment. In the cab, they came up with separate stories in case anyone asked but figured with no frantic pages or cell phone calls they would be fine. Whatever happened between them they tried to keep out of public but it became more difficult as feelings intensified. Nora was sure once they moved to the next level, which they had to do soon or she would implode, the relationship would become more obvious. Toby was too…Toby; everyone would know that sex became a regular aspect of his life. First the staff, the President, then the public…by the New Year they could be a joke on Leno. Considering what the White House was going through right now Nora wanted to be very careful about that. She knew Toby felt the same way.

“What's on your mind?” Toby asked as they got out of the cab two blocks from the White House. Pennsylvania Avenue was closed to traffic. “You looked a bit intense back there.”

“Just work. You wanna use two separate entrances?”

“No. We don’t have anything to hide. You sure it was just work, on your mind?”

“Mmm hmm. I had a lovely afternoon and it is only cause to smile, not look intense as you say.” She squeezed his hand. “The faster we get back in there, the faster we can take a dinner break. I was thinking about Thai.”

“Have I ever told you how much I like your thinking Nora?”

“Really? Wait until you get a load of some of the other things that run through my mind.”

***


End file.
